Dr. Kenneth Showalter has been reappointed as the C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry, housed in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University.


In 2004, the department of chemistry became the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry in honor of the life and generosity of Dr. Bennett and his widow, Edna Bennett Pierce. Over the years, their gifts have totaled more than $6.6 million.


In 1989, Showalter was appointed Eberly Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and eventually became the first C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry in 1996. As of August, he will be entering his third appointment with this prestigious title.


Showalter’s research interests include investigations of chemical kinetics, oscillatory reactions, reaction dynamics with open chemical systems and chemical waves.


�€?My research program at WVU is regarded as one of the world’s leading research groups studying complex dynamical behavior in chemical systems,�€? Dr. Showalter said.


Over the years, he has published more than 100 refereed scientific papers, including four articles in �€?Nature�€? and three articles in �€?Science,�€? and has received numerous awards and honors,


Dr. Showalter also has held appointments at the University of Leeds, U.K.; Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium ; University of Copenhagen , Denmark ; and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Gesellschaft in Berlin , Germany .


�€?The C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry allows me to pursue high level research and to represent West Virginia University in many prestigious professional activities,�€? Showalter said.